MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL & MAIN OFFICE NEWS
NEW JGW PRINCIPAL ANNOUNCED!! Please see the letter attached from our Superintendent announcing JGW’s next Principal:
On behalf of Haverhill Public Schools, please join me in welcoming Mr. Matthew Condon as the new Principal of J. G Whittier Middle School. Matt has worked in middle school education for the last 17 years. He began his career teaching special education and ELA before becoming the Principal of Collins Middle School. He holds a bachelors in Educational Studies from Salem State College, an MEd in Special Education from American International College, a CAGS from American International College in Educational Leadership, and was a Lynch Leadership Fellow at Boston College. Matt currently resides in Georgetown with his wife Quinn and his two sons, Chris and Milo.
Matt will begin his transition to Haverhill in the coming weeks. He will be attending JGW end-of-the-year celebrations, spending time at the school getting to know the staff and students and having opportunities for families to say hello. Mr. Condon will join us full time on July 1, 2022, and has an impressive energy plan to ensure a smooth start to the 22-23 school year. Mr. Condon wants to let the Whittier community know how excited he is to be “a part of the Whittier and Haverhill community to help build a world-class middle school.”
Please join me in welcoming Matthew Condon as the incoming Principal of the Whittier School!
Best,
Dr. Marotta
Office of the Superintendent
superintendent@haverhill-ps.org
COVID UPDATE: As most of you are aware, Covid numbers are once again on the rise. With only a few weeks left in our school year, we ask that everyone stay vigilant to the best practices used throughout this pandemic. We are highly encouraging staff & students to wear masks, wash your hands, use hand sanitizer, avoid touching your face, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and maintain appropriate physical distance. If you are feeling unwell, please consider testing, regardless of vaccine status. If you are experiencing symptoms and are in the building please see our nurse. Masking continues to be one of the most effective mitigation measures to prevent COVID.We are seeing cases in both vaccinated and unvaccinated staff and students, and in those who have had COVID in the past. Thank you for your attention to this.
JGW 2022 SPRING BOOK FAIR:
8th GRADE NEWS: As we approach the end of the school year, there will be some fun activities for the entire 8th grade to participate in. As more details become available, they will be shared with all families. Please remind your 8th grade student about our “Good Standing Policy” and expectations. This was shared with all 8th grade families via email on 4/25/22.
8th grade promotion will be held on Tuesday evening, June 14th at 6pm.
May News: For the month of May, our school theme is ‘unsung hero.’ Someone who is an unsung hero is someone who often does the right thing, but does not always get the recognition they deserve. This month, teachers will select students for JGW’s Star Poet Society based on this theme. This means that teachers will select students they feel do the right thing and have yet to be truly recognized for consistently doing so. This month, winners can be chosen based on a variety of ways! It could be related to academics, behavior, or anything else that aligns to keeping up with expectations at school.
Congratulations to all JGW Star Poet Society winners for the month of April, based on the theme of Positivity! The winners are: Cynthia C.C, Ellie D., Phoenix Q, Giovanni G., Jadiel A., Owen L., Liam G., Kaeden P., Jeremy S.G., Anna Marie G., Gianna D., Sean S., Asiahs O., Andrew L., Kiara S., Ashlynn F., Kiany M., Colin S., Adriana A., Jhalia A., Heidy A.G., Willow M., Destiny R., Carson J., & Christopher R.
Drop Off/Pick Up Procedure: As we close out this school year, I would like to please remind families that during drop off and pick up procedures, please DO NOT use the main driveway in front of the school, as this is permitted for buses only. I appreciate your consideration.
Food & Drink: Please be advised that students will be reminded that food and drink are not allowed to be consumed anywhere other than the cafeteria. The exception to this rule is bottled water. Students should not be eating or drinking in the classrooms, hallways, gym, outside at recess, or any other area in the school other than the cafeteria without prior consent from Administration. Some major reasons for this rule include: Excessive littering, spills, insects, allergies, etc. We appreciate families support and reinforcement in regard to this rule.
The Helping Hillie: UPDATED NEWSLETTER…
BCBA Spring Newsletter – Spanish
HAVERHILL PUBLIC SCHOOLS HANDBOOK (K-8): Please click on the link below to be connected to our up to date handbook for grades K-8: https://www.haverhill-ps.org/hps-student-handbook/
Chromebooks: PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR STUDENT IS COMING TO SCHOOL DAILY WITH THEIR CHROMEBOOKS FULLY CHARGED. THANK YOU!!
JGW Chromebook Policy
We understand that “things happen” and from time-to-time students will forget to charge their Chromebook or leave it at home. Unfortunately, this is becoming a habit for some students and is happening far too often overall. Students were made aware at the beginning of the school year that the expectation is for ALL students to bring their fully-charged Chromebook to school each day.
The supply of extra Chromebooks is limited. Because of this, we are implementing a borrowing policy here at JGW for Chromebooks and chargers. Students who forget their Chromebooks, bring them to school uncharged, or do not return a borrowed Chromebook the same day will be given consequences as follows:
First Offense: Student will be issued a warning
Second Offense: Parents/Guardians will be called
Third Offense or More: Student will be given after-school detention
**These consequences will reset for all students each trimester.
If a student loses or damages a Chromebook or charger and the student needs to be issued another device, the family will be charged a fee for the replacement. Typically, the Chromebook replacement fee will be $199.00 and the charger replacement fee will be $39.00.
It is very important for students to come to school with charged and functioning Chromebooks. The devices are used in most, if not all classes; including music and art. We are asking families to be partners with the JGW in this, and remind your children to charge their Chromebooks and bring them to school every day.
Attendance: A reminder to all families that if your student will be absent for the day, please make sure to call the main office (978-374-5782) to notify the school. Thank you.
Dress Code: We receive many questions about our school’s dress code. We would ask that all families please review the Haverhill Public Schools Dress Code Policy with their students in order to ensure that it is properly being followed. Thank you for your attention to this. Please find a copy of the HPS Dress Code Policy below: Dress Code Policy (HPS)
PTO UPDATES
The PTO meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month from 6:00pm-7:00pm in the JGW Teacher’s Room. The dates are as follows:
2001-2022 PTO Meeting Dates · May 12th · June 9th
SPORTS:
Track & Field: TRACK & FIELD MEETS are Tuesday, May 24th for grades 5/6 and Tuesday, May 31st for grades 7/8 after school at HHS.
CLUB NEWS:
NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY: Has a meeting on Wednesday May 18 from 3-4pm. There are many topics to go over and we will be having a guest so please bring your hour sheets. All hours are due on the 25th of May. Thank you
JR VIP: Jr VIp will not meet this week.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS CLUB: We are still meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays depending on availability and which groups students have been assigned. All players will need is a pencil, and preferably a notebook. If they have their own dice sets, now would be the time to use them! There are extras that will be made available to those who need them, and parents do not need to purchase anything for their child to be in DnD club! Please pay attention to the Google Classroom for updates on meeting times and cancellations.
DRAMA CLUB: MOANA JR. TICKET SALES begin on Wednesday, May 18th at www.jgwdrama.com. Tickets are $8 for students/seniors and $10 for adults/general admission. All ticket prices after Memorial Day will increase by $2, so get your tickets before it’s too late!!
DRAMA CLUB continues to meet Tuesday/Thursday after school. Please keep an eye on the rehearsal schedule and jgwdrama.com
TECH CREW meets on Wednesdays. Please email Mr. Gariepy if you don’t have access to the Tech Crew Google Classroom!
NEWS FROM OUR NURSES OFFICE:
Hello JGW Families!
As we prepare for the upcoming school year, our nursing office is going through records to ensure we updated orders, up to date medications and physicals/immunizations. If you are able to get this paperwork ahead of time, it would be greatly appreciated for the 2022-2023 school year.
Please be aware that we are seeing a significant increase in COVID cases in our district. The nurse’s office has plenty of mask supply and testing resources for students.
MEDICATIONS/INHALERS: A reminder to all parents that students cannot self carry medication of any kind without physician orders and an active administration plan in place developed with the school nurse. Please reach out to our nurse’s office with any questions.
CLASSROOM NEWS:
GRADE 5:
Ms. Simes: This past week in math, students began working on their rough draft of their “Life In A Geometrical Town” project. This week, they should be transposing their design of their map to their whiteboards. In science, students finished running their marathon this season, as they completed their MCAS STE. I am so proud of their effort and perseverance. This week, students will begin another engineering design feat of designing and building a water filter. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me at michele.simes@haverhill-ps.org. Have a wonderful weekend.
Ms. Marciano: ELA: Research projects were AMAZING! The kids had such a good time presenting their research and tri-fold boards to their peers. With only 22 days of school left, we are in the home stretch! We will be reading a class novel for the rest of the year. Please stay tuned for information about the book!
SS: We are discussing new technology and transportation as we move along in Unit 7. Students will also be learning about how the Industrial Revolution helped to make existing cities much larger. We will be having a short quiz towards the end of the week.
Ms. Hogan: At the end of this week, we worked on a small project about an important invention from the 1800s. Students created advertisements for inventions like the loom, the cotton gin, and the steam engine. Next week, we will learn about the lives of pioneers, Native Americans, African Americans, and immigrants in the 19th century.
Ms. LaCoste: Our MCAS testing is complete! Your fifth graders worked really hard and I’m sure their efforts will show when scores are released later this year. In ELA we continue to work in stations. This week’s stations include a note taking station, where students research their nonfiction topic and take notes on important parts, a word work station where students create words using a group of given letters, a nonfiction book station where we’re continuing with the book Titanic: Disaster at Sea and reviewing nonfiction features, and a reading station, where students are responsible for reading a nonfiction text, The Dawn of the Doughnut and answering comprehension questions about the text. Next week, students will begin writing the paragraphs for their research papers.
Ms. Consolazio: In science, we will begin a new scope Observing the Stars. In this scope, students will learn about different stars and their sizes. In class we will begin writing vocabulary words and discussing student’s prior knowledge on the subject. Please make sure students bring their Chromebook charged every day for class.
Mr. Kelly: Next week, the students will be working on a project where they will be using math related to being in a band/music group. For the next couple of weeks, we will be doing project-based learning activities in our classroom. The goal is for the students to be practicing the skills we have been learning all year but in real-life situations. On top of that, we will be practicing math fluency to increase the skills for the students. I will continue to be staying after school on Wednesdays if any students want to stay for extra support.
Ms. Lees: Fifth graders in Orange and Green worked very hard taking the Science MCAS on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. ELA groups will continue to take notes and use them for writing a research paper on their chosen topic. In Math they will be exploring new concepts and reviewing the year doing individual and group projects. Students who have LEXIA accounts are encouraged to work at home with their reading online as well as to read everyday out loud with someone at home or to themselves. It will help all students to log into iReady for reading or math to strengthen their skills. Please reach out if after school or before school help will support your student.
GRADE 6:
Ms. Hamel: Our next Theme for Student of the Month will be “Unsung Hero.” This is someone who is not always not noticed or praised for hard work, courage, or great achievements. Our sixth grade is also beginning our “Game of Fives” where each teacher chooses their top 5 students who are academically and behaviorally on task and enter their name into the pool. 5 students will be chosen on Friday (our 5th day of the work week) and choose a $5.00 gift card of their choice! Good Luck Grade 6 students- let’s get our name into that pool!
ELA: Students continue to read and work on comprehension packets for our last novel study of the year, Esperanza Rising. Each chapter consists of a quick write, vocabulary, quick questions and short essay comprehension questions. Students read silently, aloud in small groups, listen to audios, and listen as a teacher reads to reach each student in their best interest.
SS: Students are working on their Culture packets for South America and are also watching the movie RIO to find connections to what they have learned so far!
We also wrapped up student presentations on South America Landmark projects and they were quite impressive!
Ms. Silveira: This week in math, we looked at box plots, which is one way to view data values. Next week, we will look at other ways data can be viewed, including histograms and frequency tables.
In science, we have discussed the different organelles in cells and what their functions are. Next week, we will build a 3D model of a cell! Students can come up with their own ideas of what they will use to make each part of their cell. Try to gather some materials over the weekend so they can work on it all next week! Thank you!
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email me.
Ashley.Silveira@haverhill-ps.org
Mr. Taylor: ELA – Continuing answering the question; Which character traits matter most while reading Ghost. We are also continuing our grammar work.
SS-Putting the finishing touches on our South American country presentations. Moving on to Ancient Civilizations Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas.
Mr. LeGrand: Mathematics: In grade 5, students classified two-dimensional figures into categories based on properties. In grade 6, we are building on those concepts by representing three-dimensional figures using nets made up of rectangles and triangles; and use the nets to find the surface area of these figures. Students will apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world mathematical problems.
Social Studies: Students will have the opportunity to choose a country from South America and conduct research on that particular country. For this project, they will create a poster containing information about their country’s geography, government, economy, history, culture, and attractions.
Ms. Lane: Science: The students are wrapping up Anatomy of a Cell. They studied 2 Careers about Scientists who study cells and the first woman Scientist. They learned that the word Scientist was created to represent women 250 years ago. They are going to do a project about Body Systems when they are finished with the anatomy of a cell on Monday 5/16/22.
Social Studies: The students are finishing the packet called the Valuable Resources of South America. In this section, students learn about the various natural resources of South America. They discover that hydropower, oil and mining are all important industries in South America. They also learn about regional crops and cattle production. In addition, students learn about resources of the rainforest and some of the interesting animals of South America.
Ms. Tarbox: In ELA, both Yellow and Orange groups are continuing their fourth novel study of the year! We have been reading “Esperanza Rising.” Also, students with reading goals are participating in their final round of Fountas & Pinnell testing to see just how much growth has been made this year! Be on the lookout for emails with updates on reading progress. In Math, both Yellow and Orange groups are finishing up area. As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns, mtarbox@haverhill-ps.org.
GRADE 7:
Mrs. Berthiaume: In ELA, students are really getting into our class novel, Hidden Figures. If students are absent, they must see me (when they return to school) about borrowing a book to catch up on chapters we have read. In Social Studies, we took a virtual field trip to ancient Rome and are now learning about the class system and government.
Mrs. MacKinnon: we are beginning our unit on energy transfer. Students will conduct an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, how well the type of matter retains or radiates heat, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.
Ms. DiGloria: In Green and Blue group English this week, we will be continuing to work with The Giver. Students will complete their first Writing Response on the first third of the book, and we will aim to read until around Chapter 9 or 10. In Social Studies, students will be finishing their Illustrated Summary project. Then, we will learn about the Punic Wars and the laws of the republic, before we turn our attention to the end of the republic and beginning of the empire.
Mr. Auger: Hello Everyone! I hope you all enjoy the warm weather this weekend! This week in my 7th grade science class, students completed our unit of potential energy and had a test on both kinetic and potential energy. Next week, we will begin our next unit which covers energy transfer and temperature. Students will explore how different materials retain or radiate heat. In my 7th grade social studies class, students began learning about the major events and leaders of Ancient Rome. Next week, we will continue to expand our knowledge of this region and its early history. Have a great weekend!
Mr. Harris: students are working on our Probability Unit. They have been looking at single events, and we will transition into Compound events.
Ms. Bilmazes: In ELA, students are continuing with their novel study. The blue group has delved into The Giver and are summarizing each chapter as well as having group discussions about the difference between the lives portrayed in the book and their own lives. The yellow and orange groups are continuing to read Hidden Figures and discussing opportunities which the characters in the book were not afforded. In Math, students are working on measurement (area, circumference). We have been meeting, during the success block, with those students who have pull-out support in Math and ELA. This time is spent working on a variety of interventions, such as iReady, additional practice, help with homework and classwork support. In addition, Mrs. Holmes and I are supporting students within the classroom. As always, feel free to reach out with any questions.
GRADE 8:
Ms. Deblasis: We will continue studying Topic 7: Understanding & Applying The Pythagorean Theorem. Specifically, applying The Pythagorean Theorem to solve problems and finding the distance on a coordinate plane.
Mr. Marinella: ELA– Blue and Purple ELA have moved on to our next novel study. This unit we are reading “Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl”. This is an extremely emotionally charged text, written with first hand accounts of a young child living through one of the darkest moments in world history. We are going to be examining the emotion of the story, as well as making connections to our own lives and challenges. We are reading sections from the novel as well as the play to see the similarities and differences in types of stories while keeping the same overall plot.
Civics– We have also moved in our final article of the Constitution we are examining: Article III the Supreme Court. We will be analyzing the history, creation, and structure of the court, as well as its members and qualifications. We will also be spending a lot of time studying the most important cases they have heard and how this third branch has helped shape the nation!
Ms. Sullivan: This week we will continue learning about Natural Selection. We will be doing hands-on activities, vocabulary, and readings about the topic.The test will be either Thursday or Friday.
Mr. Blaustein: We will begin the week by completing our Chapter 6 Vocabulary. Next, we will proceed with completing our McGraw-Hill On-line lesson on the Executive Branch. We will continue this series of lessons until our quiz which will most likely be at the beginning of the following week.
Mr. Harris: students will continue to work on our Geometry Unit. We will be finishing up transformations, before moving onto looking at lines, transversals, and angles.
Ms. MacKinnon: We have finished up our science MCAS. the students worked really hard on the test. Great job to all. We are still working on Genetics sections. We are moving onto mutations. Students will Develop and use a model to describe that structural changes to genes (mutations) may or may not result in changes to proteins, and if there are changes to proteins there may be harmful, beneficial, or neutral changes to traits.
Ms. Senior: Pythagorean Theorem is a mouthful and the students are eating it up in 8th Grade Math. In ELA, students are responding to literature passages with essay writing.
SPECIALISTS:
Physical Education: (Mr. Demarais): We will be continuing with our field games unit. Floor hockey and team handball.
Art (Ms. Boulger): The students in the purple and yellow groups are working on a variety of art projects in the upcoming week such as drawings, sculptures, earthenware and murals.
The art department is looking for donations of the following:
new/used sports equipment (specifically footballs, and basketballs)
new/used frames
new/used/ unused plastic or glass jars of any size to store mixed paint and glazes.
new/used T-shirts to use as smocks.
Artwork by Jayslee
Health (Ms. Reynolds):
grade 5 – We are in our Nutrition Unit now and will be studying my plate and the 5 food groups, as well as a focus on fruits and vegetables.
grade 6 – We have begun our Body Systems Unit. Our primary focus is on the Respiratory and Digestive Systems.
grade 7 – The Advertising Unit is in full swing. As we look at some commercials, we will target what Tricks of the Trade advertisers use to entice us to BUY BUY BUY.
grade 8 – Violence Prevention is our unit that began last week. School Violence and Dating Violence are the focus this week.
Music (Mr. Gariepy): Hello JGW Friends & Families!! We’ve been wrapping up piano in class while we move on to guitar and music production!! Students are creating their own songs on Soundation.com by using their pianos and guitars to create original material. By the end of the year, students will have been exposed to two instruments, musical theater elements, music production, and music history.
Library (Ms. Michitson): Hello Whittier Friends; Happy to announce that our Book Fair is scheduled for Tues 31st – Friday 6th.
Continuing with current events and with book contest. Have a great weekend.
Technology (Mr. Gordon): All grades continue to work on Google App projects and keyboarding.
SCHOOL SUPPORT STAFF
Guidance (Ms. Vlahos): I continue to be available to connect with and support all students and families throughout the school week. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at jvlahos@haverhill-ps.org. I look forward to our continued work in support of a healthy, safe, and successful finish to the school year!
Student Support Coordinator (Mr. Newell): I am available to help support students and their families in any way possible. Please email me with any questions, thank you.
Student Adjustment Counselor (Ms. Midolo): Next weeks topic will focus on “Differences between Good Friends and Toxic Friends”. Good friends can be like members of your family. When you find friends like that, hold on tight. Unfortunately, not all are. Some are toxic — not good for you and, honestly, probably not great for the other person either. Toxic relationships can take a serious toll on you: your physical health, your emotional health, your feelings of self-worth, and even your other relationships.
Student Adjustment Counselor (Ms. White): I continue to be available to connect with and support all students and families throughout the school week. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at shelby.white@haverhill-ps.org. I look forward to our continued work in support of a healthy, safe, and successful end of the school year!
Middle School Support Program (Mrs. Leydon & Mr. Diffin): Congrats to Mrs. Leydon and her husband Scott for their new addition to the family, Ella was born on Monday May 9th. Our 5th and 8th graders finished up on MCAS, completing the STEM (Science) portion this week. Again, Ms. Credit filled in for our Social Group settings, and performed amazingly. Mrs. Beckwith is preparing our 8th graders for their next step in life…HIGH SCHOOL. She is listening and answering any, and all questions asked…which are many. Ms. G is polishing up our 5th graders to end the year, and they should be nice and shiny for 6th grade. And our 6th and 7th graders are getting the support needed from our available staff on any given instance. This group of students has been amazing all year…many laughs…and a few tears! The ingredients for many terrific days!
Enjoy your weekend.
Parent Liaison (Ms. Arias-Reyes): Durante el transcurso de esta semana he estado llamando a los padres de los estudiantes que son parte del programa de EL. Para avisarles que las inscripciones para la escuela de verano están abiertas y si están interesados en inscribir a sus hijos enviarles el formulario de solicitud para que puedan llenarlo. La escuela de verano es completamente gratuita y empieza el 11 de julio hasta el 4 de agosto. En otras noticias, no estaré trabajando el 20 de mayo y tendré que irme temprano el 23 de mayo. Y el 27 de mayo será un mediodía para los estudiantes, serán despachados a las 11:05am. Si tienen alguna pregunta no duden en llamarme al 978-374-5782 o mandarme un mensaje de texto al 781-666-4085. Que tengan un buen fin de semana.
ELL (Ms. Khakali & Corporan): All of our ELs are preparing for our EL End of Year (EOY) Writing Assessment. In this assessment, students have the opportunity to show their mastery and command of the written English language. We will use this writing assessment, along with other assessments, to determine students’ progress and placement for next year. Level 1 & 2 ELs will be identifying parts of a paragraph and will write several paragraphs . Level 3,4 & 5 ELs will be analyzing model essays and working on revising and editing to prepare for the EOY Writing Assessment.
Student Support Center (Mrs. Greenwood): We are here to support and help all students. Please reach out to Mrs. Greenwood or Ms. House if you have any questions and or concerns. Have a great weekend.